Cicero Essay -- History

Cicero Born Marcus Tullius Cicero in Arpinum (Italy) in 106 BC, he became a writer, statesman, orator and philosopher. He loved politics and he wrote only when he could not participate in government. He had a motto which he constantly strived for: to always be the best and over top the rest. Cicero had a high political career in Rome for that time as winning elections were almost always exclusively controlled by a group of wealthy aristocratic families. Cicero’s family was not one of them. Lacking this advantage there were essentially only two career options open to him; a military career, he was no soldier and hated war, or a career in law. He prepared for this by studying jurisprudence, rhetoric and philosophy. Then he began taking part in legal cases could lead to a career in law and did lead to political success. He proved to be excellent orator and lawyer and a shrewd politician. He was elected to each of the principal Roman offices on his first try at the earliest legal age and was now a member of the Roman senate but could only offer advice. Advice that would almost always be followed. But the Roman government was not a democracy but more of an oligarchy with only a few men wielding all economic and political power. During his term as consul in 63BC he was responsible for exposing the conspiracy of Catiline. Catiline was a plan to take over the Roman state by force. Cicero had the five conspirators put to death without trial. He became proud of this as...